Inbox by Gmail is shutting down. Here are a few alternatives

It’s been 4 years since Google released Inbox, an alternative to their own email app, Gmail. Now it looks like the company is shutting it down. An inbox that works for you, is what Google called it at the time. With features like smart replies, highlights and reminders, Inbox offered quite a few nifty features for users. So why is it shutting down?

According to Matthew Izatt, Product Manager for Gmail, Google is “planning to focus solely on Gmail and say goodbye to Inbox by Gmail at the end of March 2019.” Then again, it shouldn’t really come as a surprise since certain Inbox features have already been carried over to Gmail last April.

“We want to take a more focused approach that will help us bring the best email experience to everyone” – Matthew Izatt

So in case you’re fretting over Inbox already, here are a few alternative email apps you could try out.

1. Gmail

Image Credits: Google

The obvious alternative is, of course, Gmail itself. After all, that’s the reason Inbox is going away in the first place. But if you haven’t used Gmail in a while, there are actually some pretty neat features embedded in it. The attachments feature, for example, let’s you access attachments on email threads without ever having to open the conversation. Other features include smart replies and a snooze button that allows you to put off emails for later. An inbuilt reminder also ensures that you follow up and respond to emails.

2. Outlook

Image Credits: Outlook

Before Inbox, my go-to email app was always Outlook. I’ve found the swipe gestures and smart filters to be quite handy. Yes, there are other apps with similar features nowadays. But personally, I liked the UI, clean and simple. Speaking of UI, Outlook’s desktop app actually got an overhaul recently. You can enable the new look on the web app. don’t worry, if you’re not a fan you can always go back to the original look.

3. Hop

Image Credits: The Next Web

Hop looks to give a messaging experience rather than emailing. So if you prefer text messaging and group chats over emails, then this one is for you. Much like team chat apps, Hop lets you create channels for conversation around different topics. Functionality-wise it works similar to chat app conversations too, where you would share messages and media content instantly with others. The only catch though is that Hop will only work well if others use Hop too.

4. Edison Mail

One of the notable features Edison Mail has to offer is the automatic categorization. This is where incoming emails are automatically categorized and grouped together accordingly. You can also turn off read receipts with Edison, Additionally, the “undo send” option is a feature that anyone would find useful.

5. ProtonMail

If you’re someone concerned about security, this email app will certainly appeal to you. ProtonMail offers end-to-end encryption emails. This basically means that only you and the recipient can read the emails. Additionally, all emails are also stored in encrypted format. Of course, you also get the other nitty-gritty features like customizable swipe gestures and labels.